Here’s the thing about healthy living… you miss cakes. In my case not so much eating cakes but I really miss baking and photographing them. Baking has been my stress reliever for so long that I genuinely feel something’s not quite right if I haven’t baked anything in a few days. I have been obsessively updating my Pinterest boards with new recipes and ideas and in the end I kind of snapped and HAD to bake something, anything!!
Since we had a few bananas going brown that something had to be banana bread but I was in the mood for something a little fancier so I ended up with a three-layered Banana cake, spiked with rum butter (yum!) and filled with caramel cream cheese frosting. I mean if you are going to push the boat out you may as well go all out! I have testimonials from reliable witnesses that this tastes amazing – and I can vouch that the teeny-tiny bite I took was worth the calories!
Banana layer cake with caramel cream cheese frosting
Ingredients
- Caramel cream cheese frosting
- 150 g | 5.3oz unsalted butter at room temperature cubed
- 300 g | 10.5oz full fat cream cheese
- 250 g | 8.8oz icing powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 tbsp caramel sauce store-bought or homemade
- 1 tsp vanilla paste
- Banana layer cake
- 4 medium ripe bananas
- 4 large eggs
- 160 ml | 5.4fl oz coconut oil melted (or vegetable oil)
- 300 g | 10.5oz plain flour you can mix in a little wholegrain flour if you like
- 300 g | 10.5oz light brown sugar
- 100 g | 3.5oz ground almonds
- 100 g | 3.5oz desiccated coconut unsweetened
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp salt
- pinch ground cloves
- __
- 2 tbsp dark brown sugar
- 2 tbsp rum or bourbon
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3-4 tbsp caramel to drizzle
Instructions
- Make the frosting. Cream the butter in your stand mixer until it is white and fluffy. Stop and scrape the sides of the mixer and mix some more.
- Add the cream cheese and beat for a few minutes until well mixed in.
- Add the icing sugar and mix on low speed first and then increase to high speed until the frosting holds firm peaks (if the frosting is too runny you can add a little more icing sugar). Add the caramel and vanilla and mix them in. Keep cool until needed.
- Make the cake. Preheat the oven to 180C (350F). Grease three cake tins and dust lightly with flour (or use cake release spray).
- Liquidise the bananas, eggs and oil in a food processor until smooth.
- Sift all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Add the banana mix and fold in with a large spoon or spatula. Make sure there are no dry pockets of flour in the batter.
- Divide the batter evenly between the three tins and bake for 25-30 minutes until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool in the tins for 5 minutes then invert on to a cooling rack.
- Heat the dark brown sugar, bourbon and butter in a saucepan until butter is melted and sugar dissolved. Bring to the boil for a minute then cool slightly before brushing over the cake layers.
- Smooth a generous amount of frosting over the bottom layer and top with second layer. Add another layer of frosting then top with third layer.
- Smooth frosting along the top and sides – leaving the cake layers showing through for a 'naked cake' effect. Put in the fridge for 30 minutes (you can skip that if you are short on time).
- Pipe the remaining frosting over the top and drizzle generously with caramel (heat for a few seconds in microwave to make it runny if it has set).
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Tina says
What size cake pans, please?
Lucy Parissi says
3x20cm (8in) cake tins
Maryblues says
Il a l'air tellement bon je vais le cuisiner. Merci
Fionnuala says
This look fabulous. I must try it! I love your photography. Good on you for going with patterned plates, lace and floral fabrics. It look brilliant and makes a change from a lot of food photography you see around.
Lucy Parissi says
Thanks! I love adding texture to photographs with props… but I go through phases like most food bloggers/photographers! This cake is fabulous regardless though : )
anna @ annamayeveryday says
That looks amazing, just beautiful! Look at your perfect piping too. I would love a slice of that right now!
HipFoodie Mom says
oh my gawd, now THIS is a cake!!! Gorgeous gorgeous!!!
Anonymous says
Are you copying Linda Lomelino??? Shame on you!!
Lucy Parissi says
Actually I am not. This is my own original recipe.
Gemma says
I'm a bit late commenting on this recipe but better late than never. :-p
This cake is simply mouth-watering! Can't stop staring all hypnotized at the delicious and tempting caramel sauce sliding down the sides of the gorgeous cake! <3
xoxox
Jen Price says
Oh my goodness, this cake is gorgeous. I love your photos, they always make me hungry though!
Kat BakingExplorer says
Wowza! Banana cake, so one of your five a day surely?!
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
Incredible Lucy! SO indulgent, decadent and I can imagine delicious too.
Lucy Parissi says
Thanks Thalia! It was a gooood cake : )
Jenny says
oooooh that looks seriously good x
Joanne says
I definitely can't go more than a few weeks without cake baking or I go a little crazy! It's just so much fun. Especially when the finished product is as gorgeous as this!
Lucy Parissi says
Baking is good for the soul! Just as well I have managed to resists eating (most of) the stuff I have made since January 1st
Kerry at Kerry Cooks says
This looks just amazing Lucy! And bananas are totally good for you!
Kate Glutenfreealchemist says
Beautiful perfection! Need I say more?
Hannah Hossack-lodge says
That is one delicious looking cake…I love the addition of almonds and coconut, I bet it tastes phenomenal! And your piping is awe-inspiring 🙂 I find baking very therapeutic too, I start to get a bit angsty if I haven't done any in a while…
Jennie // scarletscorchdroppers says
This looks absolutely stunning! I just love the buttercream and the caramel – perfect!
I know exactly what you mean about baking. As much as I love eating cakes (and I really, really do!), much of baking for me is the enjoyment of the actual process, and the stress relief it offers. I often bake things and give them straight away just so I can spend some time baking.
Jennie x
Lucy Parissi says
Yes that's where I am at… Bake, photograph and share with builders, family & neighbours. Get my baking fix without (all) the calories!
Lucy Allen says
Looks magnificent!
Hayley @ Snap Happy Bakes says
Thank goodness this is just a picture on a screen, otherwise my diet would be blown and the cake missing! This looks amazing!
Keep Calm and Fanny On says
Stunning, stunning, stunning… I am soon hungry now…
Angela says
I've just spent the last hour or so catching up on your blog and I'm in foodie heaven. Gorgeous as always!
Lucy Parissi says
Thanks Angela : )